Father Patrick Eastman

ZEN SPIRIT, CHRISTIAN SPIRIT

May30 - June 1, 2008

At the Ammerdown Centre

Residential: Ł175, Non-residential: Ł117 Please arrive by 6pm on Friday. Course ends after lunch on Sunday.

'The practice of Zen, under the guidance of a teacher, can be integrated into Christian life: it can deepen Christian prayer and root our faith not just in our head but in our whole person.' (Father Robert Kennedy SJ)

'Is it possible to say that both Christians and Buddhists can equally well practice Zen? Yes, if by Zen we mean precisely the quest for the direct and pure experience of life , liberated from verbal formulas and linguistic preconceptions.' (Thomas Merton)

Zen can be a wonderful help to Christians seeking spiritual growth. Zen Master Father Kennedy S.J. (author of Zen Gifts to Christians and Zen Spirit, Christian Spirit), who came for the first time to Ammerdown last year, suggests that people leaning towards a deeper form of prayer are often attracted to studying Zen. He writes: “Zen gives us a method to put contemplation into practice. Zen training does not allow us to analyze or theorize about prayer or life. Instead, it plunges us at the outset into the contemplative act in which there is no subject or object.” Father Kennedy will help us develop a deeper contemplative prayer life through Zazen or ‘sitting meditation.’ This is the practice of stilling the mind through wholehearted attentiveness to the breath which, coupled with the stillness of the body, frees the mind from its ordinary activities of thinking, daydreaming, or speculating on the nature of life. When practised attentively, Zazen offers an ever-deepening insight into the oneness of life just as it is. This is a silent retreat where much of the time is spent in sitting and walking meditation, instruction and talks, chanting and one to one interviews. The weekend also includes a simple celebration of Eucharist influenced by our encounter with a Zen practice. Those who have never practiced Zen before are welcome to attend and there will be an introduction for them at the beginning of the retreat. Father Robert Kennedy is a Jesuit priest who teaches theology at St. Peter's College, Jersey City and a Zen teacher in the White Plum Asangha. He studied with the great Yamada Roshi in Kamakura, Japan, with Maezumi Roshi in Los Angeles and with Glassman Roshi in New York. Glassman Roshi installed Kennedy as sensei in 1991 and conferred Inka (his final seal of approval) in 1997, making him a roshi (master). N.B. The cost of the weekend reflects the cost of Father Kennedy flying out from the USA in order to lead it.

Father Patrick Eastman
Home Biography Articles Book Reviews Schedule Links Contact Me	ZEN SPIRIT, CHRISTIAN SPIRIT May30 - June 1, 2008 At the Ammerdown Centre Residential: Ł175, Non-residential: Ł117 Please arrive by 6pm on Friday. Course ends after lunch on Sunday. 'The practice of Zen, under the guidance of a teacher, can be integrated into Christian life: it can deepen Christian prayer and root our faith not just in our head but in our whole person.' (Father Robert Kennedy SJ) 'Is it possible to say that both Christians and Buddhists can equally well practice Zen? Yes, if by Zen we mean precisely the quest for the direct and pure experience of life , liberated from verbal formulas and linguistic preconceptions.' (Thomas Merton) Zen can be a wonderful help to Christians seeking spiritual growth. Zen Master Father Kennedy S.J. (author of Zen Gifts to Christians and Zen Spirit, Christian Spirit), who came for the first time to Ammerdown last year, suggests that people leaning towards a deeper form of prayer are often attracted to studying Zen. He writes: “Zen gives us a method to put contemplation into practice. Zen training does not allow us to analyze or theorize about prayer or life. Instead, it plunges us at the outset into the contemplative act in which there is no subject or object.” Father Kennedy will help us develop a deeper contemplative prayer life through Zazen or ‘sitting meditation.’ This is the practice of stilling the mind through wholehearted attentiveness to the breath which, coupled with the stillness of the body, frees the mind from its ordinary activities of thinking, daydreaming, or speculating on the nature of life. When practised attentively, Zazen offers an ever-deepening insight into the oneness of life just as it is. This is a silent retreat where much of the time is spent in sitting and walking meditation, instruction and talks, chanting and one to one interviews. The weekend also includes a simple celebration of Eucharist influenced by our encounter with a Zen practice. Those who have never practiced Zen before are welcome to attend and there will be an introduction for them at the beginning of the retreat. Father Robert Kennedy is a Jesuit priest who teaches theology at St. Peter's College, Jersey City and a Zen teacher in the White Plum Asangha. He studied with the great Yamada Roshi in Kamakura, Japan, with Maezumi Roshi in Los Angeles and with Glassman Roshi in New York. Glassman Roshi installed Kennedy as sensei in 1991 and conferred Inka (his final seal of approval) in 1997, making him a roshi (master). N.B. The cost of the weekend reflects the cost of Father Kennedy flying out from the USA in order to lead it.